Australian Maine Coon May Be Longest Cat In The World

Matthew Russell

By Matthew Russell

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Connected cat lovers of the world have been obsessed with long cats for years, once having their paws on a substantial chunk of the meme economy. IRL, we’ve yet to come across the 10,000-foot-tall feline that would put these digital rumors to rest, but it seems a new challenger has appeared down under.

Omar the Maine Coon isn’t a huge fan of all the attention, but he is quite huge. He weighs over 30 pounds, and owner Stephanie Hirst, of Croydon, often needs to step back a few feet to fit all of him in the picture. Omar is three times the size of an average cat and, according to Leader Community News, has been attracting the attention of millions on social media, as well as the Guinness Book of World Records.

“We thought he might be [the longest cat in the world,] but we hadn’t done anything about it because he might not be fully grown yet,” Hirst said. “[Omar] was tiny when we got him, but then he just started growing and was 10kg at one year old.”

Now almost 4 feet long, Omar has possibly already clinched the title of “Longest Cat In The World,” beating the previous record holder, Ludo, a cat from the UK, by a full inch. According to People, Omar’s official length is currently 3 feet 11 inches.

Ever since news of this Maine Coon’s mass hit the internet, Hirst has been fielding media and modeling inquiries for Omar almost nonstop. And while his owner has obliged, taking him on press junkets and making morning show appearances, Omar prefers to hide out of sight from strangers.

“He doesn’t jump the fence, and he likes to hide in small places like the kitchen cupboard,” Hirst said.

At home, however, Omar soaks up all the attention he can get. Perhaps a little too much, but that’s the territory that comes with being a big cat.

“He sleeps on the couch because he takes up too much room on the bed, and he demands we cuddle and pet him all through the night,” Hirst said. “But he is really good at opening doors, sliding doors, kitchen cupboards, shower doors, wardrobes; he’ll get past all of them. He just likes to be able to go wherever he pleases, so he will do whatever to find a way.”

Matthew Russell is a West Michigan native and with a background in journalism, data analysis, cartography and design thinking. He likes to learn new things and solve old problems whenever possible, and enjoys bicycling, going to the dog park, spending time with his daughter, and coffee. Find more about Matthew on his personal website.